An Austrian-Iranian Citizen Has Been Imprisoned in Iran for Six Months
The Secretary General of the “Austria-Iran Association” has been held in Evin Prison since late January 2019. He is Dr. Masoud Mossaheb, 72 years old. Efforts by Austria’s Foreign Minister and the country’s ambassador to clarify the matter and secure his release have so far been unsuccessful.
Whenever a citizen of a foreign country was imprisoned in the Islamic Republic of Iran, it was often the Austrian government that played a mediating role. Today, the situation has reached a point where the Austrian government cannot take any action for one of its own citizens held in Iranian prisons.
The website of the Vienna-based newspaper “Der Standard” writes that after a computer science consultant named “Kamran Ghaderi” was arrested in Iran in 2016 on espionage charges and sentenced to ten years in prison, another dual-nationality citizen has now been imprisoned in the Islamic Republic for six months. He is Masoud Mossaheb, Secretary General of the “Austria-Iran Association.”
Der Standard reports that the head of this association is Werner Fasslabend, former Austrian Defense Minister. One of the functions of such associations is to maintain contact between governments even during difficult periods, and there have been no shortage of such difficult periods with the Islamic Republic.
It is remarkable that the Islamic Republic’s authorities have targeted Masoud Mossaheb. Fasslabend told Der Standard that Mr. Mossaheb “has spent nearly 25 years making considerable efforts to improve relations between Austria and Iran.”
Fasslabend has called upon Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Islamic Republic Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to make efforts in this “completely incomprehensible and deplorable matter” for “transparency in the rule of law.”
Der Standard contacted the Islamic Republic’s embassy in Vienna seeking clarification on the matter but has not received a response to date.
Masoud Mossaheb was arrested in Tehran in early January 2019. He has lived in Austria since 1965 and received his doctorate in mechanical engineering from Vienna University of Technology in 1975. He has held Austrian citizenship since 1980.
Mr. Mossaheb traveled to Iran in January 2019 with a delegation from the company “Med Austron.” Med Austron is a center in northern Austria for treatment and research using ion molecules (ion therapy) and has a project in this field in Tehran.
Alfred Zens, CEO of Med Austron who was present on the Tehran trip and whose visit resulted in Mr. Mossaheb’s arrest, told Der Standard that it does not appear that the detention “is related to this project; the delegation traveled to Iran and had discussions with their business partners in Iran as well as a meeting with Professor Mossaheb.” He expressed hope that the matter would be clarified as soon as possible.
According to Der Standard, the 72-year-old Mr. Mossaheb suffers from complications of several chronic illnesses and the prison conditions and inadequate medical care could harm his health.
After his arrest in late January 2019, no one had information about his fate as he suddenly disappeared. After several weeks of absence, he finally informs his family through a phone call that he is being held in Evin Prison. His family members manage to visit him for the first time in mid-April.
Meanwhile, Austria’s Foreign Minister and the country’s ambassador in Tehran have requested from Islamic Republic Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif that the matter be clarified and that he be released. However, Islamic Republic officials claim that Masoud Mossaheb entered the country on an Iranian passport and this is a domestic matter unrelated to Austria.
Source: DW
